Damian Stambersky
Assistant Coach | 7th Season
Pitching coach Damian Stambersky is in his seventh season as an assistant coach with the Mules in 2021.
Stambersky's pitchers have finished in the top-2 in team-ERA in the MIAA all five years at UCM and were leading the league with a 3.39 ERA through 23 games in 2020 before the season was cut short. The 2019 staff ERA of 3.86 is the second-lowest under Coach Stambersky. Opponents hit just .227 off Mule pitching, which also led the MIAA and they struck out an MIAA best 562 batters. Three Mule pitchers were named to the All-MIAA team. Closer Jonathan Sprinkle made the First Team with starter Mason Green on the Second Team and Ben Kelsch Honorable Mention. Sprinkle struck out 14.95 batters per nine innings and locked down 10 saves. He was also a First Team All-Region pick. Green made the ABCA Second Team All-Region with a 9-0 record and 2.88 ERA. He struck out 95 batters in 75 innings, 11.40 batters per nine innings, top among Mule starters. Ben Kelsch entered the all-time top-10 in innings pitched and appearances. In 10 NCAA postseason games, the Mules put up a 2.70 ERA as UCM finished third at the NCAA Division II National Championship, their highest finish with Coach Stambersky.
In 2018, not only did they led the conference with a 4.20 staff ERA. They also led the team in WHIP, hits allowed per nine innings and were second in walks allowed per nine innings. Stambersky coached a pair of All-MIAA pitchers in starter Luke Lucas and reliever Luke Mercer. Mercer finished the season third in the MIAA with nine saves. The Mules went 4-0 to win the MIAA Tournament, during which the allowed just six runs in 35 innings, including getting the eighth no-hitter in team history, started by Brandon Reid. Central Missouri went on to their second NCAA Regional with Stambersky in the dugout and finished the year 39-17.
The Mules in 2017 were second in the MIAA in pitching with a staff ERA of 4.07, while two players, Zach Girrens and Steven D'Amico, ranked in the top 100 in the nation in individual earned run average. Girrens also ranked 14th in NCAA-II in hits allowed per nine innings. Three pitchers earned All-MIAA honors with Girrens being named to the First Team, D'Amico was a Second Team honoree and reliever Tayler Ross earned Honorable Mention honors.
In 2016, the Mules led the MIAA in pitching with a staff ERA of 3.74, almost a full run lower than the second place team. That also ranked top 25 in the country. The pitching staff was also tops in the MIAA and second in the nation with nine shutouts. Five of his pitchers earned All-MIAA honors, including Grant Gavin and Ethan Westphal on the First Team. Both of those players would go on to earn multiple All-Region honors as well. Four of his pitchers went on to the professional ranks following the season. Gavin was drafted in the 29th round by the Kansas City Royals, and Lucas Williams was selected in round No. 40 by the Houston Astros. Westphal signed a free agent contract with the Colorado Rockies and Tyler House signed with the Tampa Bay Rays.
During his first season in Warrensburg, the Mules were second in the MIAA in ERA with a staff earned run average of 4.26. The group was also second in the conference in strikeouts with 367. One of his pitchers ranked in the top 50 in NCAA Division II in saves and four pitchers earned All-Conference honors with Carlos D’Armas earning third team accolades.
Stambersky came to UCM in 2015 after spending the previous 11 seasons at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Stambersky was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the past 11 seasons for the Blue Devils, while also serving as an adjunct instructor in the social sciences department.
During his time at KCKCC, nine players went on to play NCAA Division I baseball and four players went on to play professionally.
Before Kansas City Kansas CC, Stambersky spent four seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, helping them to a school record 33 wins in 2000. The Trojans compiled 108 wins during his four years with the program. He also spent one season as the head coach of the Kenai Peninsula Oilers in the Alaska Summer Baseball League.
Stambersky started his college career at KCKCC. A designated hitter his freshman year, he caught all but 14 innings as a sophomore and earned First Team All-Jayhawk Conference honors. He then moved on to the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, where he was a two-year starter and a team captain behind the plate. He earned honorable mention All-Sun Belt Conference honors as a senior.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship from UALR in 2000 and a master’s degree in Exercise Science from California University of Pennsylvania in 2007.
He and his wife Valerie have a son Taylor, and a daughter, Tyler Rose.
